#childhood development

[mindblowingscience]

Exposure to cannabis while pregnant has been linked with a number of genetic changes in the newborn, supporting speculations a mother's use of the drug could adversely affect their child's ongoing neurodevelopment. The international team of researchers behind the study found that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) was associated with alterations in genetic expression in newborns which persisted into their adult life. These epigenetic changes affected more than half a dozen genes related to the growth of nervous pathways at different points in development.

Continue Reading.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic: toddlers learn earlier to read emotions with face masks - Published July 2, 2024

ABSTRACT

In a prior study we demonstrated that the presence of face masks impairs the human capability of accurately inferring emotions conveyed through facial expressions, at all ages. The degree of impairment posed by face covering was notably more pronounced in children aged between three and five years old. In the current study, we conducted the same test as a follow-up after one year from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the requirement of wearing face masks was holding in almost all circumstances of everyday life when social interactions occur. The results indicate a noteworthy improvement in recognizing facial expressions with face masks among children aged three to five, compared to the pre-pandemic settings. These findings hold a significant importance, suggesting that toddlers effectively mitigated the social challenges associated with masks use: they overcame initial environmental limitations, improving their capability to interpret facial expressions even in the absence of visual cues from the lower part of the face.

Follow the link to our covid archive for a link to the open-access study!

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

==

These people are cult priests masquerading as "teachers."

[catofthenine]

Gothic Pursuit in Childhood

(Gothic Baby) @/rebysky on tiktok and instagram

Hey Ghouls!

I've been pondering on what to post next, and I feel like taking a break from the horror hosts may be a good idea. Before I continue with Elvira, I'll talk about the horror host between Vampira and Elvira: Sinister Seymour, who seems to be forgotten in the world of horror hosts.

ANYWAYS. Today, as I procrastinate from my finals, I'd like to cover the childhood pursuit of the gothic. In my personal experience, I have always been more in-tune with the macabre, and apart of that may be caused by being an outsider.

Many goths I know are somewhere on the autism spectrum or are otherwise neurodivergent- some of the people I've known have mood disorders like Bipolar, while others have learning disabilities like dyslexia; this can often cause a feelings of difference to manifest in children. This is why it is important to be welcoming and inclusive within the community; though gatekeeping is important to keep a steady definition on what is goth/gothic, many people find solace within being goth as they "embrace the weird".

From what I've seen, it is also pretty common for children to feel a connection to the eepy-creepy-spooky-ooky before they are exposed to goth music. Which like, kinda implies that it's more atmospheric than defining, but the community is connected through media, which includes music

I actually was afraid of Depeche Mode as a young child- my mom wouldn't be able to play Violator in the car with me because it would be so frightening.

I was a big fan of scene and emo aesthetics as well when I was younger, but ultimately I was very into supernatural mythology, creepypasta, Tim Burton, and Halloween-horror-esc vibes. I think this shaped who I became as an adult, and why it felt so finally validating when I first drew my eyebrows into a traditional gothic style.

One of my best friends is also super into the gothic subculture. We grew up besides each other and both had childhood interests in the supernatural (think aliens, monsters, werewolves/werecats, vampires, etc.) and in our tween and teen years we experimented in gothic and alternative styles, interests, and hobbies.

I've also seen many anecdotes from other goths that they were drawn to more "edgier" cartoon characters like Danny Phantom, Buttercup, Gwen, and The Hex Girls. Some people say that they preferred watching childhood movies and TV shows like Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated, Invader Zim, and Courage the Cowardly Dog for example.

Many people also say that some of these gothier characters were apart of their queer awakening; this makes a lot of sense because gothic expression has always been Queer; The androgynous expression, betrayal of western gender roles, and in some cases, the becoming the antithesis of Christian societal expectations for a wicked, sinister, and satanic-inspired outward expression will always be subversive of heteronormativity- this isn't to say that non-queer people cannot be goth, or that they can't celebrate themselves within the gothic community, but it is extremely important that in all areas of the subculture, queerness is in the seams.

And so, in many cases it seems that taking a liking to the gothic is almost innate to us, makes us feel home, and allows us to celebrate ourselves as different. Continuing off of this post, I think I'll be a little mean and critique the modern subcultural appearances, but we'll see how much work I get done this weekend lolz.

Song Recommendation: Creep Show by Plastique Noir

Thanks for reading!

Rest in peace,

-Cat (Catofthenine)

[fishhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

WE SHOULD DISCUSS KIDS TV SHOWS MORE!!!1!!!!1

I wish people spoke more about Steven Universe because it has shaped every part of my being.

I grew up watching it and as the Oldest Child that also meant my Two Younger Siblings grew up on it too. Not to mention how it affecting me in turn effected the way my parents parented me as an Un-diagnosed Autistic Child who connected on a spiritual level to the lessons and attitudes in the show.

Also being Bisexual, seeing how positivly and casually Steven Universe portrayed Gay Relationships allowed me to develop that side of myself without any fear of the horRoOrS oF sOcIeTyYy convincing me that i was wrong for Existing as Myself.

Seeing how the show discussed toxic and healthy relationships was also huge for me because when it came to a point in my life that i started having relationships, i was able to identify how i should treat my partner and how to spot and deal with signs of toxcicity.

Steven being constantly confused for his mother by the gems that didnt understand who he is and having to assert himself as himself and not the many personalities of his mother was huge for my self confidence. As a person who is trans, the song he sings at the end of the show "Change Your Mind" hit me like a truck. It showed younger me that i dont need to care about how other people feel about my identity as long as i can be happy with myself and dude, that was lifechanging for me as a young autistic, transgender, bisexual child.

[moa-broke-me]

I know there are a lot of nuances and differences between Sami survival parenting, gentle parenting, and Montessori parenting, but through my (very limited) research of all three, I find they all boil down to a few similar core tenants across the board.

Number 1: Treat your children like people. Not like people-in-training, people now. This doesn't mean treating them like an adult, it just means treating them as if their feelings, ideas, and choices matter. They may not have as much experience as an adult, but they deserve to be respected like one, for example, given an apology when you mess up as a parent, and an equal say in household matters. The idea is that doing this will improve a child's self-esteem, help them vocalize their needs and wants, set healthy boundaries, and express themselves, as well as teaching them to respect others through example.

Number 2: Let children learn by doing, not just by watching or listening to you. Supervise them, obviously, give them guidance if needed, and step in if you need to in order to prevent them from getting hurt, but letting them do things themselves helps in many areas. Motor function, hand-eye coordination, self-esteem, and emotional resilience, as well as helping them prepare for independent life as they get older.

Number 3: Flexibility and compromise. This is embodied in different ways and to different degrees across the three parenting styles, but the idea is still present in all three. There do need to be certain hard rules, but by displaying flexibility, you teach your child to be flexible, and how to cope with change. By showing them a willingness to compromise, you teach them what compromise is and how to compromise with their peers, helping them develop socially. By allowing them flexibility and choice specifically regarding what and when they eat, you help them develop a healthy relationship with food and body, as well as interoception, the skill of reading your body's signals and gleaning what it needs from them.

Number 4: Avoid punishments for unwise choices. If a child is about to make an unwise choice, warn them of the natural consequences, and if they don't listen, let them learn the hard way. Obviously don't do this if the consequences are severe injury, illness, or worse, but if you try to prevent your child from ever making a bad decision, you'll weaken their confidence in themselves, and their ability to think through the consequences of their decisions before they make them. They won't understand the reasons behind you not letting them watch a scary movie right before bed or eat chocolate cake and nothing else for dinner until years later, and for those couple of years, it'll be on the same level of importance as 'no elbows on the table' and 'always stand for the pledge of allegiance'.

Conclusion? I think a lot of people from across the world have found that if you stick to these principles while interacting with children, those children will generally be happier and more self-sufficient as a result, and the idea that any of this is new, untested, experimental, etc, or that the more mainstream, more authoritarian mode of parenting is somehow normal or 'the only thing that could ever work' is blatantly ridiculous. It's even more ridiculous that those sentiments are treated like they're common sense.

[teachanarchy]

"Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving" Ch6: Styles of Trauma - Pete ...

[getoutofthisplace]

Dear Gus & Magnus,

I wrapped up filming in Texas today, then headed to the Austin airport for a series of flight delays in my attempt to get back home. Meanwhile, Mom sent me this photo from the house. My response was: "He looks so big."

Magnus's ability to articulate his thoughts is continuing to develop in the best ways. I remember this time with Gus and thinking this is the time when he goes from being a toddler to being a real boy. It's an amazing and joyous thing to watch happen in real time, every day.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 8.1.2024 - 6.40pm.

[sunshine-tattoo]

Adored childhood TV series about dogs:

Paw Patrol

garbage

hideous animation

cop and military propaganda

(and I doubt the rest of the dogs are in workers' unions)

there's only one girl character and she's pink

Bluey

fantastic writing

adorable animation

teaches good life lesson for kids

and ones for grownups on how to be a good parent/ caregiver

the dad is literally the best father I have ever seen in media

main character is a girl and her characteristics are not rooted in her "being a girl"

ie pink and sparkles

like she is literally named Blue-y and enjoys all sorts of activities

rest of the cast is a nice mix of genders and personalities

[mindblowingscience]

A one-off experience of poverty is enough to impact on a child's development, according to a new study conducted by sociologists in Trinity College Dublin. Parenting stress and reduced ability to invest in healthy activities, such as reading to young children, have been identified by the researchers as the key factors impacting children's development. The study used data for more than 7,000 children from the Growing Up in Ireland 2008 birth cohort, tracking them at ages 9 months, 3 years, 5 years and 9 years. This covered the period from 2008 to 2017, when the living standards of many Irish families fluctuated with the recession and recovery. Reporting an experience of poverty at just one of these interviews was classified as "one-off poverty" while those who reported poverty at three or four interviews were in "persistent poverty". The research investigated the connections between exposure to poverty in early to middle childhood and children's cognitive and behavioral difficulties assessments at different ages.

Continue Reading.

[louiskechi]

people are constantly talking about how “all these kids online are faking disorders” because of outdated statistics showing how rare it is, but i feel like what doesn’t get acknowledged is how psychosis specifically is likely on the rise because of the effect growing up on the internet has on a person. kids are constantly being groomed or exposed to traumatizing shit (raise your hand if someone at school showed you a porn or snuff video because they thought it was funny)

we don’t have a lot of studies (to my knowledge) specifically on the effects of childhood development linked to social media, but we have a lot of studies pointing to how quickly the internet can cause people to believe in the most outlandish conspiracies. i don’t think it’s a stretch to say that psychosis and psychotic trauma disorders are likely becoming more common because of the internet

[piniatafullofblood]

I feel like being a sibling vs an only child is such a small thing supposedly but it has such a large impact. like. did you share a room (did you have personal space and privacy as a child)? could your parents spoil you (did the money aspect of feeding more than one growing child affect what class you were)? did you constantly fight with your siblings for one on one attention with your parents (did you have someone with competing needs as you living with you constantly and, in affect, monetizing your parents time and energy)? did you fight with your siblings (was your family emotional environment heavily negatively impacted because of the constant clashing immaturity? were your parents exhausted by your energy for yelling at each other?)

did you grow up with siblings? (do you have someone in your life who has consistently been shown the worst parts of you, and someone who you’ve seen the worst parts of in return, who’s immaturity clashed with yours and who was there for most if not all of your developmental years? do you have someone who has the ultimate leverage of knowledge against you and is actually able to use it?)

[katimorton]

In this video, I'm talking you through the 7 subtle signs of childhood emotional neglect. Some of these subtle signs may mean you currently are or may have suffered from CEN (childhood emotional neglect) or what some simply call childhood neglect. In this video, and in some other videos I'll link below, I will be speaking to recovery and healing from emotional neglect or childhood neglect from your parents. Not all childhood emotional neglect looks identical for everybody, and your symptoms or effects may look different than a friend or sibling. This type of neglect can sometimes lead to childhood ptsd, and can effect you in your adulthood, or other symptoms. So if you are one who may suffer from neglect in your childhood from your parents or maybe a teacher or a guardian or someone else, I suggest you watch this video so you can better understand both your problem and recovery and healing journey. 

Here are the 9 Signs of Childhood Emotional Neglect: https://youtu.be/q7Nlxwgy79U 

Want more recovery tips on childhood emotional neglect? Here's a video I made about how to overcome it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtDIF... 

5 Must Know Signs of Emotional Abuse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5fw-...

[zee-man-chatter]

A lot has been written on narcissism, but this is one of the better articles I’ve read dissecting how narcissism begins in early development, and how narcissists are somewhat binary personalities. If it’s a subject that’s of interest, this is a deep dive look at how it works.

[ihavehisdvds]

[divinefem333]

A Mother Shares How Ketamine Helped Her Teen's Depression